Infectious waste which is disposed of by means other than washing into the sewerage system is regulated by federal, state and local laws and is termed "regulated waste". Regulated wastes will be placed in containers that are closable, constructed to contain all contents and prevent leakage of fluids during handling, storage, transport or shipping. These containers will be labeled biohazardous or color-coded (red bagged) and closed prior to removal to prevent spillage or protrusion of contents during handling, storage, transport, or shipping.

If outside contamination of the regulated waste container occurs, it will be placed in a second container.

The second container will be closable, constructed to contain all contents and prevent leakage of fluids during handling, storage, transport, or shipping and be labeled biohazardous or color-coded. The container must be closed prior to removal to prevent spillage or protrusion of contents during handling, storage, transport, or shipping.

If regulated waste is stored prior to disposal, it must be stored in a secure area that is locked or otherwise secured to eliminate access by the general public, and must be afforded protection from adverse environmental conditions and vermin.

The following specific procedures and precautions must be followed for the handling, treatment and disposal of regulated infectious wastes:

• All sharps must be disposed of in sharps containers, regardless of other protective features built into the tool such as self-sheathing needles. Sharps containers must meet the criteria established by the Bloodborne Pathogens Rule and must be available wherever sharps are used for University-related procedures. Sharps containers are purchased by Departments or research projects with Departmental or project funds.
• The efficacy of steam autoclaving and chemical sterilization procedures must be verified through methods recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), for example, the use of suitable indicator strips.
• Liquid infectious wastes shall be disposed in the sanitary sewer only when volumes are so large as to preclude the feasibility of autoclaving and when using the precautions listed:

  • a sink must be dedicated for this purpose and set aside from other uses through appropriate signs;

  • personnel must wear gloves, goggles, face shield and splash protection;
  • personnel shall be trained in the techniques to minimize the risk of exposure and contamination; in particular, the infectious waste shall be poured in a manner so as to minimize, as much as possible, the generation of aerosols;
  • the sink and surrounding surfaces shall be decontaminated with a 1:100 solution of bleach in water (Clorox or equivalent) and the drain shall be flushed with the same solution each time it is used;
  • plumbers servicing drain pipes used for infectious waste disposal shall be informed of the potential hazard of liquid infectious waste being retained in the lines and advised to wear suitable personal protective equipment.
• Untreated infectious waste shall not be shipped off-site unless it is hauled by a licensed transporter to a licensed infectious waste treatment facility. Treated infectious waste may only be disposed in the normal trash if labels and markings that identify the waste to be infectious are removed or defaced.

At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee infectious wastes will be autoclaved until sterility is achieved. Biohazardous materials markings will be removed and the nonhazardous wastes will be disposed of in the normal trash dumpsters. Autoclaving of contaminated wastes is currently being done by the School of Allied Health Professions in Enderis Hall and the Department of Biological Sciences in Lapham Hall.

Contaminated needles and other contaminated sharps must not be bent, recapped or removed unless it can be demonstrated that no other alternative is feasible or that such action is required by a specific medical procedure.

If necessary, recapping or needle removal must be accomplished through a mechanical device or a "one-handed technique". ("One-handed technique" is accomplished by scooping the cap onto the needle while your other hand remains behind your back.)

Shearing or breaking of contaminated needles is strictly prohibited.

Immediately or as soon as possible after use, contaminated reusable sharps will be placed in appropriate containers until properly reprocessed. These containers must be puncture resistant, labeled biohazard or color-coded, leakproof on the sides and bottom and shall not be stored or processed in a manner that requires employees to reach by hand into the container where the sharps have been placed.

Disposable contaminated sharps will be discarded immediately or as soon as feasible in containers that are closable, puncture resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom and labeled "BIOHAZARD" or color-coded.

During use, containers for contaminated sharps will be easily accessible to personnel and located as close as feasible to the immediate areas where sharps are used or can be reasonably anticipated to be found; maintained upright throughout use; replaced routinely and not be allowed to be overfilled.

When moving containers of contaminated sharps from the area of use, the container must be closed immediately prior to removal or replacement to prevent spillage or protrusion of contents during handling, storage, transport, or shipping.

If leakage is possible, a secondary container must be used. The second container must be closable, constructed to contain all contents and prevent leakage during handling, storage, transport or shipping and be labeled "BIOHAZARD". Reusable containers shall not be opened, emptied or cleaned manually, or in any other manner that would expose employees to the risk of percutaneous injury.

Sharps Disposal Procedure: See the UWM Sharps Disposal Page for more information.

Autoclaving and Chemical Sterilization: Steam autoclaving is a suitable treatment technique for small volumes of infectious wastes. These include used first aid supplies, blood spill clean up sorbents, liquids, and other small volumes of infectious wastes. Many campus departments already use autoclaves for sterilization of laboratory equipment. At UWM autoclaves are currently operated by the School of Allied Health Professions, the Department of Biological Sciences, the Chemistry Department and the Water Institute.

Chemical sterilization is accomplished by use of ethylene oxide, isolyzer compounds or dilute bleach solutions. Ethylene oxide treatment is impractical except in large hospitals. Isolyzer compounds or bleach solutions are practical for small blood spills such as lacerations or bloody noses.

Whatever treatment procedure is used, red bags should not be used for the disposal of TREATED infectious waste in the normal trash as this may cause undo concerns from the campus solid waste hauler or, perhaps, the general public.

Management of Liquid Infectious Waste Via the Sanitary Sewer: The wastewater treatment system is a sufficiently hostile environment for the HIV and HBV viruses and other pathogenic organisms so the DNR allows liquid infectious wastes to be disposed of to the sewer. However, this practice involves a high degree of risk of exposure to personnel conducting the activity. Caution must be observed. The risk to plumbers will be minimal if the drains are flushed with a suitable disinfectant every time they are used.

Licensed commercial infectious waste management contractors must be utilized if off-site disposal is needed. Moreover, new DNR infectious waste transportation regulations prohibit campus employees from transporting infectious wastes to area hospitals or other facilities for disposal.

Contaminated laundry will be handled as little as possible with a minimum of agitation.

Contaminated laundry will be bagged or containerized at the location where it was used and shall not be sorted or rinsed in the location of use. The contaminated laundry will then be placed and transported in bags or containers labeled as "BIOHAZARD" or color-coded (red).

When Standard / Universal Precautions are utilized in the handling of all soiled laundry, alternative labeling or color-coding is sufficient, if it permits all employees to recognize the containers as requiring compliance with Universal Precautions. Whenever contaminated laundry is wet and presents a reasonable likelihood of soak-through of or leakage from the bag or container, the laundry shall be placed and transported in bags or containers which prevent soak-through and/or leakage of fluids to the exterior.

The University will ensure that employees who have contact with contaminated laundry wear protective gloves and other appropriate personal protective equipment.

If the facility ships contaminated laundry off-site to a second facility which does not utilize Standard Precautions in the handling of all laundry, the facility generating the contaminated laundry must place such laundry in bags or containers which are labeled biohazardous or color-coded (red).

OSHA has issued a letter stating that they do not include soiled sanitary napkins and other feminine hygiene products in the definition of regulated waste because they are designed so as to prevent the release of liquid or semi-liquid blood or the flaking off of dried blood. Therefore, employees handling such wastes are not covered by the Bloodborne Pathogens Rule solely due to that duty. However, OSHA does expect that containers for soiled sanitary products be lined with a plastic or wax paper bag and that employees will be provided suitable gloves for removal of the bags from the waste container.

Blood spills on non-porous surfaces can very simply be handled by diluting the spill with an equal volume of 1:10 household bleach solution, or with other EPA registered disinfectants, and then absorbing it with disposable toweling or absorbent pads. This approach is used in hospitals and exceeds the guidelines issued by the CDC. If the spill involves any broken glassware, it must be picked up using a mechanical means, such as a brush and dustpan, tongs or forceps. In cases where the absorbent becomes saturated with blood and bleach, the spill clean up materials should be autoclaved prior to being disposed of in the normal trash.

There are also a number of "clumping" powdered products (e.g. Vital 1, Isolyzer) that absorb and solidify blood spills and chemically treat them at the same time. While these methods are effective and convenient they are very expensive compared to bleach and absorbent material and have not yet withstood the "test of time". Bleach or other EPA approved disinfectants are most highly recommended.

There are also products that fix sharps in a plastic polymer while treating them by heat and chemical disinfectant (e.g. Isolyzer). While these methods may be convenient and effective, the chemical polymerizing method is no longer considered an effective method of rendering sharps unusable. Please turn in all sharps for destruction and disposal to the Hazardous Waste Program.

Exact procedures will depend upon departmental activities and needs. In general, the following principles established by the CDC should be followed:

• Decontamination shall be carried out after completion of specified procedures, or as soon as possible, when surfaces are overtly contaminated or after any spill of blood or other potentially infectious material;
• Decontamination shall also be carried out at the end of the work shift if the surface may have become contaminated since the last cleaning;
• The same principles apply to protective coverings on equipment or environmental surfaces (e.g. floors, walls, benchtops);
• All bins, pails, cans and similar receptacles intended for reuse which have a reasonable likelihood of becoming contaminated with blood or other potentially infectious materials shall be inspected and decontaminated on a regularly scheduled basis and cleaned and decontaminated immediately or as soon a feasible upon visible contamination.